Rating: 3.5*

Okay so i kind of have mixed feelings about this one.

You’ve reached Sam was a beautiful novel following Julie, who previously lost her boyfriend Sam - yet somehow when she calls him he manages to pick up and talk with Julie once more.

Through following Julie and Sams story with both the flashbacks and phone calls, it felt very bittersweet as you were simultaneously watching their relationship unfolding but then it contrasts back to present time when there relationship is no more and Sam is gone, and that really enabled you to see the loss, and feel what Julie is going through (hitting quite hard emotionally).

The story is very focused around Julie and her grief, yet you still get to see the effects of the loss of Sam on the other characters and if anything i wish this had been more present, but it was really emotional and lovely to see everything start to come together towards the end of the book, when Julie, Mika and Oliver could lean on each other a bit more.

However, there did feel like there were quite a few loose ends. Some of the characters felt as though they disappeared a bit, for instance Taylor and Liam both felt as though they should have at least been in one additional scene where maybe their actions could have been addressed. I would also have loved to have seen more of Julie with Sam’s family, as the ending felt slightly rushed and just as though there could have been more.

My biggest problem was probably the lack of explanation of the phone call too. Especially as it felt in particularly the first half of the book that Julie would often be repeating herself asking ‘how is this happening?’, yet after all of that we still got no explanation.

Overall this was a beautifully written journey of grief, loss and love and whilst it didn’t make me cry or have a strong reaction emotionally, I definitely felt things at several moments within the book and would still really recommend!

This book was an easy 5 stars for me. I honestly enjoyed every second of it. It's one of the rare books that keeps me up till 2 am to finish it. There's just so much I loved about it! Okay first of all I am so excited for anything else Dustin Thao writes because he is so great at writing VIBES. Like the magic and beauty and nostalgia he is able to capture in his words was just wonderful. Oh and on nostalgia, this book has some chapters dedicated to memories and OH MY GOD they were so fun and heartbreaking and adorable and I just loved reading them so much. The characters in this book were all super lovable. Julie is such a relatable protagonist for me. All of the side characters like Oliver, Yuki, Jay, Rachel, and more were all somehow just so great to read and interact with. At this books core is a journey of grief and saying goodbye to a loved one. Losing someone so close to me sounds so scary, and this book dives into so many feelings that come with losing someone. It shows how devastating that experience can be, but tells you that everything is going to be okay. For all of the above reasons, this is a must-read that I can't wait for November because of!

You’ve reached Sam is an amazing book written by debut writer Dustin Thao. This book broke my heart and pieced it back together in 300 pages. That is an achievement indeed.
This is the story of Julie, a seventeen-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her. She and her boyfriend Sam have everything planned and they already see their future unfolding, until the day when it all comes down crushing. Unexpectedly Sam dies and Julie is left behind with shattered dreams and a broken heart.
The book starts with a heartbroken Julie who does not know how to navigate her pain, her loss, and her guilt. She starts by throwing everything that she has that links her to Sam, she deletes all is texts and messages and breaks clean from his family. She does not even go to his funeral or send flowers and condolences to his family. At the start of the book, she can appear as cold and distance, maybe even heartless. She is in pain and we all process pain differently. Sam was the love of her life and her best friend. She has lost it all in one night. And not only this, but Julie is also feeling guilty – she thinks her actions and her demands lead to Sam’s accident. Her way of surviving this loss is a clean and total break. Lonely, heartbroken, and sad, she calls Sam hoping she can listen to his voicemail one more time, but unexpectedly Sam picks up. Julie is given a second chance. She can say goodbye and try to move forward. Will she?
This is a character driven book, and the plot is quite slow. There are a few twists, but nothing major. Does this diminish the appeal of this book? No. This is an incredibly well written book, that had me hooked from page 1. I enjoyed reading the flashback their blooming relationship. It was sad to see how wonderful their relationship had been, and how much they both lost. But these little snippets gave the story power and made us feel even more for Julie and Sam. Their loss was deep and will have huge ramifications.
The characters are heartbroken, upset, some depressed, some angry. They all try their best to navigate the new world that Sam’s death reshaped and they all struggle. Julie is not perfect, and she hurts people with her actions and her words, but she is also hurt by others. She is bullied by people who do not understand her pain, she is shunned by those she believed were her friends, however she does also find friendship in unexpected places. They are all suffering and trying to deal with loss. Death is not pretty and is not clean. Expecting these characters to make perfect choices and have a nice straight path out of misery is unrealistic. This book presents their journey perfectly.
I loved it and I cannot wait for the paper back to come out.

I must preface that this novel's cover is gorgeous and immediately engaging! The concept of a deceased loved one being able to speak with the grieving girlfriend is certainly attention-grabbing, but the storyline only allowed Julie's character to develop. You've Reached Sam deals with grief and mourning, recognizing that sometimes people who are grieving do things that they regret. Even so, I found the character of Julie to be selfish for much too long in the novel. Her eventual acceptance of Sam's death seems to be brought about because of the fizzling phone connection rather than her own character development. Additionally, it would have been nice to see Sam's development as well -- even though he's only a voice on a phone. Rather than mine through the history of relationship and allow both members to grow, Sam was just an unconditional support system for Julie, who only talked about the difficulties she was going through in the present. For that reason, the conclusion fell short. Sam's Japanese American heritage is very rarely highlighted, so if you are looking for representation in this novel, you won't find much. Despite these things, the novel was engaging enough for us readers to want to see how Julie ends up at the end. The theme of moving on when the future seems destroyed is a powerful one, and is likely relatable for many young adult readers. You've Reached Sam takes a situation that no one would want to find themselves in, offers an unlikely solution, and then shows how one young girl confronts and overcomes it.

For what it sets out to achieve, You’ve Reached Sam hits the mark. Upon completing the novel, curled up in a corner and trembling like an earthquake’s start, a numbness conquered my mind. You’ve Reached Sam understands what it means to grieve; to ache for another person whom you know you will never embrace again. I appreciated that.

But here’s the thing: the numbness I felt was pervasive. This was not the emptiness one experiences after sobbing or lamentations; it was the numbness of indifference. Indeed, I left the book in tears... but I knew very little about Julie, the protagonist, and perhaps this was the author’s intention, but Sam seemed too distant and idealized — a figurehead to sigh about rather than the real, complex individuals we grieve over after they have left us. The story could have dived in a *little* deeper into its already human and nuanced ideas — but unfortunately, the characters and developments just barely scratched the surface.

(Perhaps I simply wished there could be *more* of this book! Some moments in the story hesitated and halted before they could finish their course.)

The book has plenty of merits: Polaroid snapshots of high-school shenanigans; a wonderfully diverse cast full of Asian characters (which, as an Asian reader, I always appreciate! We need more Asian characters in contemporary fiction); cherry blossom petals falling from the trees; an awesome, heart-shattering ending that almost bumped this rating up to four stars.

But (at least to me) You’ve Reached Sam did not hit the bullseye.

Definitely worth the read, though!

Maybe at another time — in another life, with a different Sophie, searching for something else to fill their mind — this would be my favorite book. But sometimes you meet the right stories at the wrong time.

I’ll return to this again when I need it, just as Julie will return to her memories of Sam. For now, I think it’s just time for me to let go and move on.

Thanks to netgalley I was able to read an ARC of this. I cried at least twice while reading this book and it was so good. Usually if I know a book is just sad I tend to avoid it but I’m glad I picked this one up. I won’t give any spoilers but the very end was just so heart breaking to me even tho we all know what happens from blurb. I definitely recommend this as a fast, easy read.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read you've reached Sam

While the back and forth of memories and present day confused me alittle at first it wasn't long before I started to enjoy this book.
Heartbreaking and a real tear jerker. Loved this story even if the end nearly killed me.

This was a book that I was very much excited to read about the moment I heard what it was going to be about. Unfortunately, I was a little bit let down. It's an okay book. I had a great time reading it. However, the concept of the story could've been better executed and gave the story a more impactful and meaningful message had it been better developed. This book had parts where it hit me emotionally. The beginning and the end were definitely its stronger points, however the middle of the book did not quite do the same thing for me. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters especially with Sam since I could never see him beyond the memories of Julie about him. Moreover, I didn't really like the fact that we, as well as the characters themselves, never got an explanation for why things were happening the way they were happening. Since there were no explanations, there was no way to bridge the plot inconsistencies to make the story stronger and well developed. Nonetheless, it was still a good read. The book is short with a very easy-to-get-into writing style so I basically flew through it. I liked how it discussed and showed grief and how not everyone will process it in the same way. I liked how realistically Julie was written in the sense that she's not really a likeable main character because of her irrational, and sometimes selfish actions, which all goes back to her processing her grief. I also really liked how the characters were able to, in a way, help each other out in coping with the loss of their friend. It shows that you do not have to go through grief all alone because there will always be people who will be there with you as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for sending an e-ARC copy of this book.

I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the synopsis and seeing the gorgeous cover, and I had high expectations for this one, but the story didn’t quite engross me as I was expecting.

I understand that people have different ways of grieving, but some of her actions just came across as insensitive and selfish? She claims to be close with Sam’s family, but she completely stops talking to Sam’s mom and brother, who she claims to be very close with, and only talks to his cousin because Mika makes the effort.

The writing was easy to get into, and I did enjoy the flashbacks of how they met and their relationship developing, but I just didn’t feel like the characters were fleshed out well. I couldn’t empathize with Julie, and I couldn’t see Sam beyond a memory. Although we were getting flashbacks, it just seemed like we were seeing a memory, and not Sam actually still alive. (I don’t even know if that makes sense to you but I don’t know how to explain this any better right now bc I’m running on 3hrs of sleep 😅)

Overall I did enjoy the book, and the story was promising. It just felt a bit lacking for me, and I wish the connection between Sam and Julie were explained.

Julie and Sam have their future planned out, after high school they will move to the city and go to college together. Then one night, a tragic accident kills Sam. Julie is devastated. She blocks out everyone, he best friends, and her mom. One night, in an act of desperation Julie calls Sam's phone. She just wants to hear the sound of his voice on the voicemail. To her surprise, she hears him say "Hello."

I loved the story of first love, of heartbreak, and a reprieve from the loss. I enjoyed seeing how Julie was able to grow throughout the story and find her new self without Sam in her life. She was able to go through the grieving process and get to a point where she was closer to her family and friends than ever before.

This is a fun heartwarming story with likable diverse characters teaching you about the best ways to connect with loved ones.

I really like books that deal with the loss of someone close or grief and this one was definitely an emotional ride but how I imagined it.

You've reached Sam is a YA contemporary novel by a debut author, Dustin Thao. The story is about Julie who is lost after her boyfriend suddenly dies without her saying goodbye. One day, she decides to call him and he picks up.

I went into the book knowing it's going to be emotional and heart-wrenching and to be honest, first 25% of the book I was constantly ugly crying, that's how much the book got to me. But after a little while, the story got repetitive and a little bit boring. I haven't seen much change in Julie, sometimes I didn't agree with her actions or her tone of voice. I can't say I liked Julie. Not to mention that the beginning of the story, especially the part before Julie calls Sam, was a bit chaotic and all over the place. The plus of it is that is rather fast-paced but that also means that I didn't manage to create any connection with the characters whatsoever.

Speaking of characters, Julie wasn't my favorite. As I said, I did not agree with some of her reactions or her tone of voice, especially with Oliver, there were some moments when I told to myself "don't be such a bitch to him". I think I know how I wanted their relationship to look like and where I wanted it to go but those two together were quite awkward for my taste. I failed to care about Mika, Sam's cousin, as well.

Overall it was very emotional and I think that the message of dealing with grief should be talked about in books, as well as other topics which were mentioned here like racial discrimination and blaming someone for the death of another person. I don't think me being emotional was because of the touching story but more about my own personal experiences. The lack of care for characters and quite a boring or repetitive story made me not enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.

Absolutely loved it. Emotional, Gut-wrenching and humane. I related to this story and am still a mess weeks after reading it.

I don't think I've cried so much at the beginning of a book before! I love how the MC goes from pushing everyone away to finally accepting people to be there for her. I also really liked how she was able to have a chance at saying goodbye to Sam, even if it is over the phone. Amazing story!

Dustin Thao’s You’ve Reached Sam is a unique exploration about grief, loss, love and moving forward. Few people who lose someone close to them have the opportunity to know what that person wants for them moving forward. Julie is one of those people. After Julie’s boyfriend Sam passes away, she’s devastated, and to cope, she tries to push away any memories of their time together. When on a whim, Julie calls Sam’s phone to hear his voicemail one last time, Sam picks up and the two get another chance at goodbye. Thao masterfully uses the speculative to explore deeply human questions about what it means to let go of someone you love. You’ve Reached Sam paints a rich emotional tapestry that will resonate with anyone who’s ever lost someone. Thao is definitely an author to watch!

(Read this elsewhere and forgot to come back over here to add to my NetGalley shelf, oops!) You've Reached Sam is a gut punch of a book, in the best way possible. I was widowed very young, in my mid twenties, and I found myself relating to these characters so deeply. It is very rare to find a book that depicts grief so well, but Dustin Thao has done it.,

CW : death of a partner and grief

I knew going into this book it will be sad but the way it ended up made me so heartbroken. Following Julie as she navigates life after her boyfriend Sam dies brought back memories for me. Reading as she tried to hold on to Sam and forgetting that he was gone. Or losing herself and her friends because of Sam was just ... ugh. It pulled at my heartstrings.

What made me love this story is how she was able to connect with Sam again. I wish that and I’m sure other people wish that they had one last phone call, hug, day, with their loved one that they lost. I lost my dad (pre-COVID) and I .. oh how I wish I can pick up the phone (which I have done a lot recently) and hopes that I can hear his voice again. I listen to his voicemails a lot 😭

Cherish the people you love and who are still with you because like the old saying goes you never know when it’s somebody’s last day and like Julie she regretted her last words she said to Sam and how she treated him on the night he passed. I’m glad that in the end she was able to find some comfort and was able to let go in a way but still hold on to Sam in some way shape or form.

☕☕☕☕(four stars as rated in cups of coffee from the shop where our love story began)

Thank you so much Netgalley and Dustin Thao for the advanced review copy of this book!

It's been only a few days since Sam died just weeks before his high school graduation. Julie, his bereaved girlfriend, can not cope. Really, she refuses to cope. Beside herself with grief - and guilt surrounding the circumstances of his death - Julie retreats into herself in the days that following the accident that changed her life. She is determined to push it all away; to block everyone and everything out. That is until one night she breaks down and calls Sam's phone just to listen to his voicemail one last time. She knows she shouldn't. She knows it won't help her heal. And she knows she must be losing it when Sam picks up the phone.

“Who are you writing for again?" Mr. Lee asks, arching a brow. He asked me this before. I know the answer he wants to hear. I write for myself. I'm not sure what this really means, though. I can't help caring about what people think, especially about my writing. "We have too many voices inside our heads. You have to pick out the ones that mean something to you. What story do you want to tell?”

This book is a treasure from SO many different angles. The unhelpful and unwarranted manifestations of Julie's grief was especially palpable to me personally. We get to see all these layers of her mourning process - starting with denial and even bargaining - that ultimately lead her to a place of reluctant acceptance. When my dad died I remember my friend telling me, "It's ok if you grieve now or if you grive in six months. There really is no schedule and however you do it is okay." I certainly needed to hear that at the time because there is absolutely nothing graceful about bereavement. Loss is a messy process. Watching Julie sabotage herself with a deep and desperate sadness that bordered on frustrating for me as a reader, was honestly a brilliant move by Thao. You've Reached Sam will speak to anyone that has had to say goodbye to a loved one or, honestly, anyone that has watched someone else have to do the same. In my experience, it can be nearly as devastating to witness someone tearing them-self apart with anguish as it can be to experience it personally.

✨ Rep in this book: Multiple East Asian characters, gay supporting character

✨ Content warnings for this book: car accident, divorce, death of a partner, trauma, grief, racism, bullying

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc in exchange for honest review. I love the cover and the plot was sOOOOOOO GOOD. I love book with a lot of pain just like this book. This book gave me anohana vibe and I cried when I remembered anohana. I mean look at the heartwarming friendship and the pain. God I love this book so much. There are some typos in the e-ARC but well It could be fixed later on the official release!! The plot was so beautiful and a little bit frustrating in the beginning but well that's okay!! I cant wait for another book by Dustin Thao!!

Oh my heart. I ate this one up. Gorgeous and breathtaking. Beautiful and emotional. What a journey. Grab some tissues. It’s a ride. I’m kind of speechless. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Julie has her entire future planned out with everything she wants: the love of her life (Sam), a dream college away from her small town, and a lifetime filled with happiness. But then the unthinkable happens: Sam dies. Julie's entire world shifts overnight and she doesn't understand how to continue her life with her heart shattered. When she calls Sam's phone just to hear him one last time, Sam picks up. Will this miraculous connection between Sam and Julie allow her to move on or will it just break her heart even more?

I went into this book expecting a sad story and I wasn't wrong. Everything about this is emotional. Julie has just lost Sam and is now stuck between her unimaginable future and her past memories. Some chapters are told as dream-like flashbacks which give the reader a look into Jam's relationship (jam? sulie? what's their ship name lol). I like these flashbacks as well as the present-day scenes; both include meaningful additions to the story.

I enjoy how Julie isn't necessarily a likable protagonist. Everyone processes grief differently and it just happens to be that Julie's version of grief distances herself from friends, family, and her future. It also causes her to do some pretty sh!tty things to the people she loves. Julie's connection with Sam further complicates her grief process and is the reason why her recovery in this story is so interesting.

There is nothing I dislike about the book. Julie has an amazing character arc and the reader understands her more as time separates her from Sam. Overall, I know this book will be loved and will touch many people's hearts.